Exposure to Group B Streptococcal (GBS) during childbirth will occasionally lead to early-onset GBS disease in newborn babies. This can be a potentially serious condition but the risk of disease can be reduced with the use of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) published its Green-top guideline on the prevention of early-onset neonatal GBS disease in November 2003 and aimed to provide guidance for obstetricians, midwives and neonatologists. The guideline recommended that intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis be offered to women if they had one of the recognised risk factors for GBS disease.
In 2005, the RCOG, in collaboration with the National Screening Committee, established a national audit to evaluate practice in UK obstetric units against the recommendations of the guideline. The audit examined the organisation of screening, the use of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) and the management of neonates born with increased risk of early-onset GBS disease. The clinical directors of each obstetric unit were contacted and asked to participate in this audit. A senior midwife, consultant obstetrician and consultant neonatologist from each unit were then asked to complete a short questionnaire about their own practice in relation to preventing GBS disease.
The results of the audit have now been published in a RCOG report. A summary version has also been created. Both versions of the report are available in .pdf and paper formats. The .pdf reports can be downloaded using the links below.